Self-ligating brackets for orthodontics

Abstract

Self-ligating bracket for orthodontics has a base, an occlusal wall extending from the base and occlusal ligature wing, a gingival wall extending from the base and gingival ligature wing, a slot, which separates the occlusal wall and the gingival wall from one another and extends continuously in the direction from mesial to distal, and a slide, which is held in a guide provided in the occlusal wall and/or in the gingival wall. The guide can be shifted in the gingival-occlusal direction, between a closed position, in which the slide bridges the slot, and an open position, in which the slot is open in labial direction. A structure holds the slide in its closed position as well as in its open position.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A self-ligating bracket for orthodontics having a base, an occlusal wall extending from the base and having at least one occlusal ligature wing, a gingival wall extending from the base and having at least one gingival ligature wing, a slot which separates the occlusal wall and the gingival wall from one another and extends continuously in the direction from mesial to distal, a slide which is held in a guide provided in the occlusal wall and/or in the gingival wall and can be displaced in the gingival-occlusal direction in the guide between a closed position in which the slide bridges the slot and an open position in which the slot is open in a labial direction, and a structure that can hold the slide in its closed position as well as in its open position, the structure comprising:
 an elongated slit-shaped recess provided in the gingival wall or in the occlusal wall of the bracket, the elongated recess having an opening facing the slide and which runs through the bracket from a labial side of the occlusal or gingival wall to an underside of the base adapted to contact a tooth, and a longitudinal direction which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot and in which a straight cylinder is arranged having a longitudinal axis arranged mesiodistally, the cylinder having a cylindrical circumferential surface and an elastic or elastomeric restoring capacity in case of deformation and rests without lateral play in the elongated recess with a part of its circumferential surface facing away from the slide on an unyielding abutment, and wherein the cylinder protruding out of the opening of the recess at most with a semi-periphery of the cylindrical circumferential surface thereof; 
 wherein the unyielding abutment is a plug, the position of which in the elongated recess is so selected that the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder touches an underside of the slide when the slide is in its closed position; 
 wherein a first stop is provided on the slide, which abuts the cylinder in the open position of the slide; and 
 wherein on the side of the slide that faces the cylinder a protrusion is provided on said slide and arranged in such a way that upon displacement of the slide into the closed position thereof, before assuming the closed position, it abuts the cylinder; 
 wherein sufficient space is available on both sides of the protrusion, in order to accommodate the section of the cylinder protruding from the recess; 
 wherein a second stop is provided on the bracket and the slide abuts said stop in the closed position thereof, once the protrusion thereof has passed the cylinder. 
 
     
     
       2. A bracket according to  claim 1 , wherein only one recess is provided with only one cylinder. 
     
     
       3. A bracket according to  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder consists of an elastomeric synthetic material. 
     
     
       4. A bracket according to  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder consists of a biocompatible synthetic material. 
     
     
       5. A bracket according to  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic material is a polyoxymethylene (POM), a polyetherketone (PEK) or consists of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
       6. A self-ligating bracket for orthodontics comprising:
 a base; 
 an occlusal wall extending from the base and having at least one occlusal ligature wing; 
 a gingival wall extending from the base and having at least one gingival ligature wing; 
 a slot, which separates the occlusal wall and the gingival wall from one another and extends continuously in a direction from mesial to distal; 
 a slide, which is held in a guide provided in the occlusal wall and/or in the gingival wall, and in the guide can be shifted in a gingival-occlusal direction between a closed position, in which the slide bridges the slot, and an open position, in which the slot is open in a labial direction; 
 an elongated slit-shaped recess provided in the gingival wall or in the occlusal wall of the bracket and having an opening facing the slide and which runs through the bracket from a labial side of the occlusal or gingival wall to an underside of the base adapted to contact a tooth, wherein a longitudinal direction of the elongated recess runs parallel to a longitudinal direction of the slot; 
 a structure that can hold the slide in the closed position as well as in the open position, wherein the structure that can hold the slide comprises a straight cylinder, wherein the cylinder has an elastic or elastomeric restoring ability, wherein the cylinder has a cylindrical circumferential surface, wherein the cylinder is arranged having a longitudinal axis arranged mesiodistally in the recess, wherein the cylinder has a part of the cylindrical circumferential surface facing towards the slide and another part of the cylindrical circumferential surface facing towards the base, wherein the cylinder is supported in the recess and rests in the elongated recess without lateral play on an unyielding plug with the part of the cylindrical circumferential surface facing towards the base and can give way to a movement of the slide because the cylinder can be elastically or elastomerically deformed by the moving slide, wherein the part of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder facing towards the slide protrudes from the elongated recess to the outside thereof at most with a semi-periphery of the cylinder; 
 a first stop provided on the slide which abuts the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder in the open position of the slide; 
 wherein on a side of the slide that faces the cylinder a protrusion is provided on said slide and arranged in such a way that upon displacement of the slide toward the closed position, before assuming the closed position, the displacement first abuts the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder, before the slide can assume the closed position, by the protrusion passing the cylinder and deforming elastically or elastomerically the cylinder while passing the cylinder; 
 wherein sufficient space is available on opposite sides of the protrusion, in order to accommodate a section of the cylinder protruding from the elongated recess; and 
 a second stop provided on the bracket, wherein the slide abuts said second stop in the closed position once the protrusion has passed the cylinder. 
 
     
     
       7. The bracket according to  claim 6 , wherein only one recess is provided with only one cylinder. 
     
     
       8. A bracket according to  claim 6 , wherein the cylinder consists of an elastomeric synthetic material. 
     
     
       9. A bracket according to  claim 6 , wherein the cylinder consists of a biocompatible synthetic material. 
     
     
       10. A bracket according to  claim 6 , wherein the synthetic material is a polyoxymethylene (POM), a polyetherketone (PEK) or consists of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
       11. A self-ligating bracket for orthodontics having a base, an occlusal wall extending from the base and having at least one occlusal ligature wing, a gingival wall extending from the base and having at least one gingival ligature wing, a slot which separates the occlusal wall and the gingival wall from one another and extends continuously in the direction from mesial to distal, a slide which is held in a guide provided in the occlusal wall and/or in the gingival wall and can be displaced in the gingival-occlusal direction in the guide between a closed position in which the slide bridges the slot and an open position in which the slot is open in labial direction, and a structure than can hold the slide in its closed position as well as in its open position, the structure comprising:
 an elongated slit-shaped recess provided in the gingival wall or in the occlusal wall of the bracket, the elongated recess having an opening facing the slide and which runs through the bracket from a labial side of the occlusal or gingival wall to an underside of the base adapted to contact a tooth, and a longitudinal direction which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot and in which a straight cylinder is arranged having a longitudinal axis arranged mesiodistally, the cylinder having a cylindrical circumferential surface and an elastic or elastomeric restoring capacity in case of deformation; 
 wherein the cylinder protrudes out of the opening of the elongated recess at most with a semi-periphery of the cylindrical circumferential surface thereof; 
 a first stop provided on the slide, wherein the first stop abuts the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder in the open position of the slide; 
 wherein on the side of the slide that faces the cylinder a protrusion is provided on said slide and arranged in such a way that upon displacement of the slide into the closed position thereof, before assuming the closed position, the protrusion abuts the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder; 
 wherein sufficient space is available on both sides of the protrusion, in order to accommodate the section of the cylinder protruding from the recess; and 
 a second stop provided on the bracket, wherein the slide abuts said second stop in the closed position thereof once the protrusion has passed the circumferential surface of the cylinder; 
 wherein the cylinder is supported on its side facing away from the slide on an unyielding abutment; 
 wherein the unyielding abutment is a plug, the position of which in the elongated recess is so selected that the cylindrical circumferential surface of the cylinder touches an underside of the slide when the slide is in its closed position; 
 wherein the cylinder rests in the elongated recess without lateral play.